SPME in environmental analysis: biotransformation pathways

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is an organic solvent-free sample preparation tool suitable for direct adsorption of analytes from the headspace or the aqueous phase of a matrix followed by desorption into a gas chromatograph (GC) or high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) for subsequent analysis. The SPME technique is designed to accommodate the use of fibers coated with different polymers suitable for the extraction of chemicals with varied hydrophobic and polar properties. Also, the technique can minimize interference from other artefacts associated with complex samples, such as those encountered in biological matrices or reaction mixtures. The preceding characteristics of SPME make the technique suitable for real-time measurements of intermediate reaction products and, thus, able to provide insight into the fate of target chemicals and their degradation pathways. In the present article, the current state of knowledge on the use of SPME-GC and SPME-HPLC in the determination of frequently encountered environmental chemicals and their (bio)transformation pathways are critically reviewed. Future opportunities of SPME in real time in situ process monitoring such as the use of agricultural feed stocks to bio-based industrial products termed henceforth "process analytical chemistry" are also discussed.     

Product Gauss quadrature rules vs. cubature rules in the meshless local Petrov–Galerkin method

A crucial point in the implementation of meshless methods such as the meshless local Petrov–Galerkin (MLPG) method is the evaluation of the domain integrals arising over circles in the discrete local weak form of the governing partial differential equation. In this paper we make a comparison between the product Gauss numerical quadrature rules, which are very popular in the MLPG literature, with cubature formulas specifically constructed for the approximation of an integral over the unit disk, but not yet applied in the MLPG method, namely the spherical, the circularly symmetrical and the symmetric cubature formulas. The same accuracy obtained with 64×64 points in the product Gauss rules may be obtained with symmetric quadrature formulas with very few points.     

Second‐Sphere Biomimetic Multipoint Hydrogen‐Bonding Patterns to Boost CO2 Reduction of Iron Porphyrins

Inspired by nature's orchestra of chemical subtleties to activate and reduce CO₂, we have developed a family of iron porphyrin derivatives in to which we have introduced urea groups functioning as multipoint hydrogen‐bonding pillars on the periphery of the porphyrinic ring. This structure closely resembles the hydrogen‐bond stabilization scheme of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) adduct in the carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH). We found that such changes to the second coordination sphere significantly lowered the overpotential for CO₂ reduction in this family of molecular catalysts and importantly increased the CO₂ binding rate while maintaining high turnover frequency (TOF) and selectivity. Entrapped water molecules within the molecular clefts were found to be the source of protons for the CO₂ reduction.     

A new synthesis of butadienyl- and styrylboronic esters: highly reactive intermediates for Suzuki cross-coupling

Alkoxy-functionalized butadienyl- and styrylboronic esters have been synthesized starting from alpha,beta-unsaturated acetals. These derivatives readily cross-couple with aryl substrates, and the obtained products can be transformed under mild conditions into aromatic ketones, achieving the same result as an acylation reaction. [reaction: see text]     

Pseudoconvex fully nonlinear partial differential operators: strong comparison theorems

We introduce a new class of curvature PDOs describing relevant properties of real hypersurfaces of . In our setting, the pseudoconvexity and the Levi form play the same role as the convexity and the real Hessian matrix play in the real Euclidean one. Our curvature operators are second-order fully nonlinear PDOs not elliptic at any point. However, when computed on generalized s-pseudoconvex functions, we shall show that their characteristic form is nonnegative definite with kernel of dimension one. Moreover, we shall show that the missing ellipticity direction can be recovered by taking into account the CR structure of the hypersurfaces. These properties allow us to prove a strong comparison principle, leading to symmetry theorems for domains with constant curvatures and to identification results for domains with comparable curvatures.     

On the subRiemannian cut locus in a model of free two-step Carnot group

We characterize the subRiemannian cut locus of the origin in the free Carnot group of step two with three generators, giving a new, independent proof of a result by Myasnichenko (J Dyn Control Syst 8(4):573-597, 2002). We also calculate explicitly the cut time of any extremal path and the distance from the origin of all points of the cut locus. Furthermore, by using the Hamiltonian approach, we show that the cut time of strictly normal extremal paths is a smooth explicit function of the initial velocity covector. Finally, using our previous results, we show that at any cut point the distance has a corner-like singularity.     

Ligand-Induced Chirality in ClMBA2SnI4 2D Perovskite**

Chiral perovskites possess a huge applicative potential in several areas of optoelectronics and spintronics. The development of novel lead-free perovskites with tunable properties is a key topic of current research. Herein, we report a novel lead-free chiral perovskite, namely (R/S−)ClMBA₂SnI₄ (ClMBA=1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethanamine) and the corresponding racemic system. ClMBA₂SnI₄ samples exhibit a low band gap (2.12 eV) together with broad emission extending in the red region of the spectrum (∼1.7 eV). Chirality transfer from the organic ligand induces chiroptical activity in the 465–530 nm range. Density functional theory calculations show a Rashba type band splitting for the chiral samples and no band splitting for the racemic isomer. Self-trapped exciton formation is at the origin of the large Stokes shift in the emission. Careful correlation with analogous lead and lead-free 2D chiral perovskites confirms the role of the symmetry-breaking distortions in the inorganic layers associated with the ligands as the source of the observed chiroptical properties providing also preliminary structure-property correlation in 2D chiral perovskites.     

A comparison of the extraction of clove buds with supercritical carbon dioxide and superheated water

Supercritical carbon dioxide and superheated water (subcritical water above 100 °C under pressure) have both been used to extract the buds of cloves (Syzygium aromaticum). The yields of eugenol and eugenyl acetate obtained by these methods and also by steam distillation and liquid solvent (Soxhlet) extraction are similar, but the yields of caryophyllene were lower for the methods using water. Received: 23 December 1998 / Revised: 26 March 1999 / Accepted: 31 March 1999     

Effect of a dipolar self-assembly monolayer formation on indium-tin oxide on the performance of single-layer polymer-based light-emitting diodes

We report on the use of indium-tin oxide surface modification, by grafting of highly polar p-disubstituted benzenes, in the fabrication of light-emitting diodes. The polar compounds possess COCl or SO₂Cl grafting groups and CF₃ or NO₂ as highly electronegative groups, leading to the formation of a dipolar monolayer, which brings about an increase in ITO work function, thereby reducing the barrier for hole injection into luminescent polymers. We observe that the effect of this self-assembled monolayer, in terms of light-onset voltage, efficiency and luminance, is at least comparable to the use of a hole injection layer of doped poly[(3,4-ethylenedioxy)thiophene] for LEDs using poly({2-[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]-5-methoxy-1,4-phenylene}vinylene) (MEH-PPV) and polyfluorene blends as active layers.     

Photolysis of the Insensitive Explosive 1,3,5-Triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB)

The explosive 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) is of particular interest due to its extreme insensitivity to impact, shock and heat, while providing a good detonation velocity. To determine its fate under environmental conditions, TATB powder was irradiated with simulated sunlight and, in water, under UV light at 254 nm. The hydrolysis of particles submerged in neutral and alkaline solutions was also examined. We found that, by changing experimental conditions (e.g., light source, and mass and physical state of TATB), the intermediates and final products were slightly different. Mono-benzofurazan was the major transformation product in both irradiation systems. Two minor transformation products, the aci-nitro form of TATB and 3,5-diamino-2,4,6-trinitrophenol, were detected under solar light, while 1,3,5-triamino-2-nitroso-4,6-dinitrobenzene, 1,3,5-triamino-2,4-dinitrobenzene and mono-benzofuroxan were produced under UV light. The product identified as 3,5-diamino-2,4,6-trinitrophenol was identical to the one formed in the dark under alkaline conditions (pH 13) and in water incubated at either 50 °C or aged at ambient conditions. Interestingly, when only a few milligrams of TATB were irradiated with simulated sunlight, the aci-isomer and mono-benzofurazan derivative were detected; however, the hydrolysis product 3,5-diamino-2,4,6-trinitrophenol formed only much later in the absence of light. This suggests that the water released from TATB to form mono-benzofurazan was trapped in the interstitial space between the TATB layers and slowly hydrolyzed the relatively stable aci-nitro intermediate to 3,5-diamino-2,4,6-trinitrophenol. This environmentally relevant discovery provides data on the fate of TATB in surface environments exposed to sunlight, which can transform the insoluble substrate into more soluble and corrosive derivatives, such as 3,5-diamino-2,4,6-trinitrophenol, and that some hydrolytic transformation can continue even without light.